advantage under the soft glow of hanging oil lamps, but which now seemed to merge into the panelling, only their gilded frames being prominent.At the end of the corridor another one led off at right angles, and in comparison this one looked denuded for the panelling was bare. Halfway along it, he drew her to a stop, leant forward, pushed a door open and stood aside to allow her to enter. Inside was definitely a sitting-room, and it was bright with sunshine that warmed the chintz covered couch and numerous chairs and lit up one wall of the Chinese patterned wallpaper in such a way that you could believe the figures on it were moving.Bridget took in the- whole room in one roving glance. It was an elegant room, at least the decor was such. Yet, she would have also called it homely, and this impression was furthered by the fact that the chintz covers had definitely seen a lot of wear.'Do sit down.''Thank you, no; I'd rather stand.' She looked at her watch.
'It's turned half-past nine,' she said, and the sound such a remark I133*elicited from him wasn't quite a laugh; but his thin body beneath his coat shook for a moment as he looked downwards while shaking his head slowly from side to side. 'Do you know, we didn't get to bed until nearly four o'clock/ he said, emphasizing the earliness rather than the lateness of the hour. 'My father had drunk a great deal but the news that Lionel had to break to him, and not gently, sobered him quite a bit. And I'm sure, like myself, neither of them went to sleep for some while after getting to bed. And now, Miss Bridget, you say it has turned half-past nine. You know'-he was nodding at her now-'I can remember as a boy, when these occasions of dinners and balls were frequent in this house and my father was much younger than he is today and in much better health, even then, he never rose before the evening after. But now, you have commanded him to be here at half-past nine in the morning. Don't you think you are being a little severe?'She did not immediately answer, but stared at him; then she said, 'And don't you think, too ... or should I say, have you asked yourself why I wish to see them at all?
134Your sense should tell you that I haven't come merely to upbraid, although I shall do plenty of that, let me assure you. But I could have done that through a letter, or through my solicitor. No; I have come because I had already, last night, thought up some kind of solution; not because I want to help your brother, or ease the monetary problem of this house, but simply because I do not want Victoria to die of shame and despair. And please'-she now thrust out her arm, palm upwards-'don't laugh at that suggestion as you did last night. Just don't.'After a moment he said, I'm not going to laugh at your suggestion, Miss Bridget; I'm only going to say that I think Victoria is a very, very lucky person to have someone like you behind her. It's been my misfortune never to have met anyone, as yet, so concerned for another's welfare and happiness.'Without making further comment Bridget had turned to look towards the window when the door at the far end of the room opened and Lionel and his father entered.She forced herself to turn slowly and look at them. They, too, were looking at her, although it would be a better description to135say that the expression in Lionel's eyes was more of a fierce glare. But it was his father who spoke first, saying, 'Bloody nice state of affairs you've got us into, miss.'The bloody nice state of affairs, as you express it, has in no way been brought about by me, sir, but by your son's conniving. And doubtless with your co-operation, thinking you were both on to a good thing, a small gold mine, in fact. Well, you picked on the wrong digger, didn't you?'The three men were amazed not only at the stance of this young woman who was the antithesis of anything they would have termed ladylike, but also that she was using phraseology they themselves might have used. It would have been
'It's turned half-past nine,' she said, and the sound such a remark I133*elicited from him wasn't quite a laugh; but his thin body beneath his coat shook for a moment as he looked downwards while shaking his head slowly from side to side. 'Do you know, we didn't get to bed until nearly four o'clock/ he said, emphasizing the earliness rather than the lateness of the hour. 'My father had drunk a great deal but the news that Lionel had to break to him, and not gently, sobered him quite a bit. And I'm sure, like myself, neither of them went to sleep for some while after getting to bed. And now, Miss Bridget, you say it has turned half-past nine. You know'-he was nodding at her now-'I can remember as a boy, when these occasions of dinners and balls were frequent in this house and my father was much younger than he is today and in much better health, even then, he never rose before the evening after. But now, you have commanded him to be here at half-past nine in the morning. Don't you think you are being a little severe?'She did not immediately answer, but stared at him; then she said, 'And don't you think, too ... or should I say, have you asked yourself why I wish to see them at all?
134Your sense should tell you that I haven't come merely to upbraid, although I shall do plenty of that, let me assure you. But I could have done that through a letter, or through my solicitor. No; I have come because I had already, last night, thought up some kind of solution; not because I want to help your brother, or ease the monetary problem of this house, but simply because I do not want Victoria to die of shame and despair. And please'-she now thrust out her arm, palm upwards-'don't laugh at that suggestion as you did last night. Just don't.'After a moment he said, I'm not going to laugh at your suggestion, Miss Bridget; I'm only going to say that I think Victoria is a very, very lucky person to have someone like you behind her. It's been my misfortune never to have met anyone, as yet, so concerned for another's welfare and happiness.'Without making further comment Bridget had turned to look towards the window when the door at the far end of the room opened and Lionel and his father entered.She forced herself to turn slowly and look at them. They, too, were looking at her, although it would be a better description to135say that the expression in Lionel's eyes was more of a fierce glare. But it was his father who spoke first, saying, 'Bloody nice state of affairs you've got us into, miss.'The bloody nice state of affairs, as you express it, has in no way been brought about by me, sir, but by your son's conniving. And doubtless with your co-operation, thinking you were both on to a good thing, a small gold mine, in fact. Well, you picked on the wrong digger, didn't you?'The three men were amazed not only at the stance of this young woman who was the antithesis of anything they would have termed ladylike, but also that she was using phraseology they themselves might have used. It would have been
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